₦airaland Forum

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY DECEMBER 5th, 2024

TOPIC: THE PURPOSE OF YOUR MOUTH

MEMORISE: “My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.” – Psalm 145:21 (KJV)

READ: Mark 7:31-37 (KJV)
31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.

33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak

MESSAGE
The most important reason God created your mouth is for you to sing and shout to Him. This is why He said in Psalm 98:4:
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

In the passage above, God was commanding the whole earth, not just a few people, to make a loud noise unto Him. In other words, He was telling the sea to roar His praises, the trees to clap for Him, and the birds to sing. Likewise, since you are on the earth, your voice must not be missing in this great choir. David said in Psalm 119:164:
Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

God created your mouth principally to sing His praise and to shout unto Him. You may not be able to sing as beautifully as the choristers in your church, but God knows that everybody can shout. That is why He said in Psalm 98:4 that you should make a joyful noise unto Him.

There is a story in Matthew 12:22 that illustrates how important the mouth is to God. A man was brought to Jesus Christ, and the Bible says that the man was blind and dumb. Jesus healed the man, and he began to speak and see. It is interesting to note the order in which the Bible recorded the miracle; the man was ‘blind and dumb’, but then the Bible recorded that he ‘spoke and saw’.

This shows that Jesus healed the man’s mouth first before his eyes.
If you have not been shouting and singing to God before, start doing so henceforth. When you are in the bathroom, sing praises to Him. When you are walking along the road, let a chorus be in your mouth. When you are in church, and the minister on the pulpit asks you to shout Halleluyah, shout at the top of your voice.

God loves it when you praise Him. When you shout and sing to Him, He is pleased with you and will draw near to you. The Bible says in Psalm 22:3:
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

When you open your mouth to praise God at all times, He will draw near to you and abide with you continually. As a result, you will enjoy the numerous pleasures in His presence forevermore (Psalm 16:11) and experience His peace at all times, irrespective of what is going on around you. Beloved, never stop praising God with your mouth!

ACTION POINT:
Sing a song of your choice in praise to the Most High God.

HYMN 17 – Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven
1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
to his feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
evermore his praises sing.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!

2 Praise him for his grace and favor
to his people in distress.
Praise him, still the same as ever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness!

3 Fatherlike he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows.
In his hand he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet his mercy flows!

4 Angels, help us to adore him;
you behold him face to face.
Sun and moon, bow down before him,
dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!

💢 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💢
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4TH 2024_

*THEME: THE PURPOSE OF YOUR LEGS*

*MEMORISE:*
“And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.”
Acts 3:8

*BIBLE READING: ACTS 3:1-11*
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

*MESSAGE:*
As I mentioned in yesterday’s teaching, God created you for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11), and He specifically created every part of your body for a purpose. Yesterday, I taught about God’s purpose for your hands, and today, I will be teaching about the legs.

One of the main reasons God created your legs is so that they can dance for Him. Psalm 150:4 says:

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

God expects you to use your legs to dance for Him. In today’s Bible reading, a man was born lame, and even though he always sat at the gate of the temple and could hear the praises from inside, he couldn’t dance. On that fateful day, he asked the apostles for money, but God had arranged for his legs to finally be able to dance for Him. He didn’t get the money he asked for, but Peter took him by the hand, and his ankle bones received strength. The Bible says that he entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God. May you always have reasons to dance, in Jesus’ name.

If you want to know how important dancing is to God, you should read (2 samuel 6:14-23). In that passage, David was dancing to God, but his wife reprimanded him because she thought that he had abased himself by dancing shamelessly. God was so upset with her, and as a result, she never had a child until she died. No matter how great you become in life, you must always ensure that you use your legs to dance for the One who lifted you.

Many years ago, we were at a meeting of pastors. During the praise session, I closed my eyes to avoid distractions as I danced to the King of kings. One of the men of God needed to get my attention for something, but he couldn’t, because my eyes were shut. When he finally got me to open my eyes, he said, “Look at you, don’t you know you are a General Overseer?” I ignored him because I was dancing to the One who made me a General Overseer, and I will keep dancing for Him until my last breath.

Beloved, ensure that you always show your gratitude to God by praising Him and dancing for Him. This way, He will continue to lift you up, and you will never cease to experience the beauty of His salvation (Psalm 149:3-4).

*ACTION POINT:*
Take out at least five minutes to dance for God today and make it a daily practice.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR*:
2 CORINTHIANS 10-13

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 20 - STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS*
1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss.
From vict'ry unto vict'ry
his army he shall lead
till ev'ry foe is vanquished
and Christ is Lord indeed.

2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day.
Ye that are men now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger
and strength to strength oppose.

3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor,
each piece put on with prayer;
where duty calls or danger,
be never wanting there.

4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle,
the next, the victor's song.
To him that overcometh
a crown of life shall be;
he with the King of glory
shall reign eternally.

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: TUESDAY DECEMBER 3RD 2024*


*THEME: THE PURPOSE OF YOUR HANDS*


*MEMORISE:*

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.- Revelation 4:11


*READ: MATTHEW 13:9-13*

9. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11. He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.


*MESSAGE:*

The Most High God does not do anything without a purpose, so, everything He created has a purpose. In the same way, every part of your body was made for a purpose. Our memory verse for today tells us that we were created for His pleasure. God sent you into this world to give Him pleasure. In fact, every part of your body was created specifically to give pleasure to God.

Today, I will start teaching on the reason God made every part of the human body, and I will begin with the hands.

Psalm 47:1 says:
*"O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph."*

One of the main reasons your hands were created is to clap for God. In Mark 3:1-5, Jesus Christ healed the man with the withered hand, even though the leaders of the synagogue didn't want Him to heal on the Sabbath day.

God did not create the hands to be withered; the hands are meant to clap for Him. This was why, even though the man with the withered hand did not ask Jesus for healing, it was very important to Jesus that the man's hand be made whole.

There are people whose hands do not look withered physically, however, when a fellow's hands cannot achieve as much as they used to, they can be considered to be withered. Also, when a fellow cannot spend as much as before, or when he or she cannot get certain things done as before, the fellow's hands can be said to be withered.

When a person's hands are withered, he or she cannot be joyful, and when the person is not joyful, he or she will not be able to clap. I decree today, that if you have a withered hand, it will be restored, in Jesus' name.

If God has ensured that your hands do not become withered, then you will be ungrateful if you do not clap for Him in worship. If a fellow is ungrateful to God for His goodness and blessings, his or her hands are in danger of becoming withered. An ungrateful person is indirectly asking for his or her hands to be withered.

Beloved, l implore you to take a minute to think about all of the great and mighty things that God has done for you, and how great and powerful He is. Henceforth, always focus your thoughts on His goodness and clap for Him in thanksgiving and praise with all of your strength.


*ACTION POINT:*

Think about God's goodness daily and clap for Him with all your strength.



*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 CORINTHIANS 5-9*


*AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE*


*HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE*

1. Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2. Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

🌻 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🌻
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: MONDAY DECEMBER 2ND 2024_

*THEME: THE POWER WITHIN*

*MEMORISE:*
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 1:8

*BIBLE READING: JUDE 1:17-21*
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

*MESSAGE:*
Power can simply be defined as the ability to do work. Sometimes, you can tell that a person is powerful based on his or her physical appearance. However, there is another kind of power that cannot be judged based on physical appearance alone. For example, in Judges 15:14-15, when Samson took the jawbone of an ass and killed a thousand Philistines, amongst other great acts he performed, the Philistines could tell that he had extraordinary strength. This was why they asked Delilah to find out the source of his extraordinary strength (Judges 16:4-5). What they didn't know was that the Holy Spirit always came upon him to give him the power to do the things that he did. Unfortunately, sin made him lose his power (Judges 16:20).

Not long after I got born again, I got a letter inviting me to my village for a programme. When I told my mother that I was going to honour the invitation, she became afraid because l had run away from the village after some people threatened to have me for breakfast. By this, they meant that they were going to kill me using diabolic powers. I told my mother that I was now born again, and no weapon fashioned against me can prosper. She replied that I didn't look different at all and asked how I was sure that l was now powerful. I told her that an electric wire that has electricity running through it and one that doesn't, both look alike. However, anyone who touches the one with electricity will know the difference. When you become born again, greater is He that is now in you than He that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

There are certain things that are needed to keep a fellow strong. Just like a bodybuilder is careful about eating healthy and exercising regularly, you also must be careful about what you let into your spirit. You must also constantly engage in spiritual exercise. When a Christian allows negative things into his or her spirit man, such a fellow will be contaminated. If you listen to worldly music, watch worldly movies, or view sensual pictures and videos on social media, you are reducing your spiritual strength.

Beloved, pray and fast regularly to maintain and increase the power of God within you. As you do these and live holy, the power of the Holy Ghost within you will grow, and God will be able to use you for greater exploits in His kingdom.

*ACTION POINT:*
Grow the power of God within you by engaging in spiritual exercises daily.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
2 CORINTHIANS 1-4

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMN 1: ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS' NAME*
1 All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!

2.Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre,
And as they tune it, fall,
Before His face Who tunes their choir,
And crown Him Lord of all,
Before His face Who tunes their choir,
And crown Him Lord of all.

3.Crown Him, ye morning stars of light,
Who fixed this floating ball;
Now hail the strength of Israel's might,
And crown Him Lord of all
Now hail the strength of Israel's might,
And crown Him Lord of all.

4.Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God,
Who from His alter call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse's Rod,
And crown Him Lord of all,
Extol the Stem of Jesse's Rod,
And crown Him Lord of all,

5.Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all.

6.Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.

7.Sinners, whose love can never forget,
The wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet,
And crown Him Lord of all,
Go spread your trophies at His feet,
And crown Him Lord of all.

8.Let every tribe and every tongue,
Before Him prostrate fall,
And shout in universal song,
The crowned Lord of all.
And shout in universal song,
The crowned Lord of all.

💎 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💎
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30TH 2024_

*THEME: OH LORD, ARISE*

*MEMORISE*:
Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
Psalm 7:6

*BIBLE READING: 2 SAMUEL 22:7-10*

7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

*MESSAGE:*
In our Bible reading for today, we see that when God hears the cry of one of His children and arises on behalf of that fellow, the whole earth will tremble, and the foundations of heaven will shake. This means that when God steps into a situation, His impact will be felt immediately.

Do you know that it is possible for you to get God to rise on your behalf? Psalm 144:5-6 says:

"Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them."

When the battle you are facing is becoming too great for you, and you need urgent divine intervention, you can specifically ask God to arise and come down to the earth for your sake, and He will do so. God sits in the heavens and controls everything that happens on the earth because the earth is His footstool. However, every now and then, when His children are facing some tough battles, He prefers to arise and come down by Himself to fight for them. Psalm 68:1-2 says:

"Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God."

When you become overwhelmed, and all you need is for your enemies to be scattered, cry unto God and say, "Oh. Lord, Arise!" He said in Psalm 50:15 that you should call on Him in the day of trouble, and He will answer you. I have discovered from the Scriptures and from personal experiences that whenever a genuine child of God is faced with overwhelming situations and circumstances, and he or she cries for God to arise and fight the battle, God always shows up.

In 2 Kings 19:14-19, King Hezekiah cried to the Lord when a mighty army decided to wage war against Judah. He knew that Judah did not stand any chance against the mighty Assyrian army; therefore, he reported the matter to God. God arose for Judah, and in that same night, the angel of the Lord went into the camp of the Assyrian army and killed 185,000 soldiers. Hezekiah did not even need to raise an army to fight against the Assyrians; God took care of them Himself.

Beloved, do not despair when you are faced with seemingly impossible situations. Cry unto God, and He will surely arise to deliver you.

PRAYER POINT:
Oh Lord, arise and fight my battles for me.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
1 CORINTHIANS 10-13

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMN 29: WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER ATTENDETH*
1 When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot,
Thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, It is well with my soul,"

*Refrain:*
(may be sung after final stanza only):
It is well with my soul;
It is well, It is well with my soul.

2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control: that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed his own blood for my soul.

3 My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the Cross, and I bear it no more; praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

4 O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend; even so, it is well with my soul.

*OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

*DATE: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29TH 2024*

*TOPIC: YOUR TIME OF VISITATION*

*MEMORISE:*

“For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” - (Ecclesiastes 9:12)

*READ: LUKE 9:57-62 (KJV)*

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

*MESSAGE:*

It is a terrible thing to miss the time of divine visitation. In Acts 3:1-11, the Bible tells us of a man who was born lame and who was always sitting at the gate of the temple. He could have decided to sit anywhere else in Jerusalem and beg for alms, but he chose to position himself where God would easily find him. He chose to sit at the gate of His temple, and the day of his divine visitation eventually came. You never can tell when the Almighty God will pay you a visit.

If you are a member of your church choir, there is usually a time that is allotted for rehearsals. If that is where God expects you to be at that particular time, He can decide to visit you there with your blessings. Some people left the place that God expected them to be, and by doing so, they were not available at the time He sent their miracle to them. When you are feeling tempted not to go where God expects you to go, or you feel like leaving where He expects you to be, whether it is a church service or a place of spiritual assignment, it means that the devil is trying to make you miss your blessing. May you not miss your day of visitation, in Jesus’ name.

Apart from missing the time of divine visitation by not being in the right place at the right time, the devil also tries to get believers to be in the wrong places so that he can carry out his evil plans on them. There was a man who was killed when some robbers came to his house. The robbers had been watching him closely, and they knew that he was supposed to be in church at that time. However, on that particular day, he decided to stay at home rather than attend church service. When the robbers were caught, they confessed that they decided to rob the house because they thought that the man would be in church. When they met him at home, they couldn’t let him live because he saw their faces.

Beloved, be consistent in your walk with God and in your service to Him. Surrender all to Him and be diligent in doing what He has called you to do. He will surely visit you and reward you as you keep doing what He tells you to do (Ephesians 6:.

KEY POINT:
Be where God expects you to be at all times.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CORINTHIANS 5-9

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 15 - PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOUR

1 Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

2 Let me at a throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief. [Refrain]

3 Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace. [Refrain]

4 Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heav'n but Thee? [Refrain]

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28TH 2024*


*TOPIC: LET HIM FIGHT FOR YOU*


*MEMORISE:*

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. - Romans 12:19


*READ: EXODUS 14:10-28 (KJV)*

10. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

11. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12. Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

13. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

15. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

16. But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

17. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

18. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

19. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

20. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

21. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

22. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

23. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

25. And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

26. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

27. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.


*MESSAGE:*

There is no place in the Bible that says you are to fight for yourself. Rather, what the Bible says is, “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:14). Also, the memory verse for today says that you should not avenge yourself, for vengeance is the Lord’s.

The reason God tells you not to fight for yourself or avenge yourself is that you belong to Him, and He is responsible for you. Therefore, if anyone comes to fight you, He is the One who will stand up to fight. Hence, whenever you fight for yourself, you are telling God that you own yourself and you can take care of yourself. In essence, you are telling Him to stay out of your matter. Believe me, if God stays out of a person’s matter, he or she is finished (Lamentations 3:22).

Some people think that they are strong, therefore, they are quick to stand up to any fight. As for me, I know that I am not strong at all. If you see any strength in me, it is because Christ strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). Without Christ, I am just a weakling. This is why, whenever I am faced with any opposition, I always tell whoever is confronting me, “If it is me you are fighting, you have won, even before the fight starts, because I have no power. However, if it is God you are fighting, then I pity you.” This has always been my disposition because God has assured me of rest and safety in Him. I know that in quietness and confidence shall my strength be (Isaiah 30:15), for I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me (Romans 8:37). Ever since I made the decision to put all my trust in Him, He has never let me down and He never will (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Beloved, you are stronger when you are quiet and confident in the ability of the Lord to fight for you. People who confront you already think that they are stronger than you, therefore, when you shout and try to fight for yourself, you will only make them feel stronger. However, when you are quiet but confident, they will know that the One who is greater than the greatest is behind you, and they will leave you alone. If they however choose to continue to challenge you, they will be destroyed by the Lord of hosts whom you put your confidence in.


*KEY POINT:*

Put all your trust in God and He will fight for you.


*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CORINTHIANS 1-4*


*AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE*


*HYMN 19: ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME*

1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save me from its guilt and power.

2. Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All could never sin erase,
Thou must save, and save by grace.

3. Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

💢 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💢
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH 2024_

*THEME: TRUE WORSHIP*

*MEMORISE:*
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
John 4:23

*BIBLE READING: 1 SAMUEL 15:20-31*
20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.

*MESSAGE:*
When people sing, dance, and even cry while worshipping God, it will look as if they are worshipping God in spirit and in truth. However, only God knows those who are truly worshipping Him and those who are just faking it.

In our Bible reading for today, we see one of the major indicators of fake worship. Saul was only worshipping God so that the elders, and all the people of Israel, could see that he was worshipping. If you only worship God in church for people to see you, then that is not true worship. When genuine worshippers worship God in public, it is an offshoot of what they have been doing in private. They actually prefer to worship God in private so that they can freely express themselves, rather than in public, where they would be conscious of the people that are around them.

Another indicator of fake worship is when your worship consists only of clapping, singing, and dancing, without seeking to know and obey God. If you do not seek to do His will at all times, but only like to sing worship songs, you are only enjoying good music; you are not truly worshipping. Real worship is about pleasing God, not just singing, enjoying good music, and feeling good about yourself. True worshippers daily seek to know God and obey His commandments. They give their hearts completely to God and seek to glorify Him with everything in their lives. This is because, (1 Corinthians 10:31) says: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

True worship comes from the heart; it is not a jamboree. True worshippers are so in love with God that they worship Him by serving Him and giving to His work in tithes and offerings. They also worship God by putting Him first in everything that they do. They are addicted to spending time in His presence and cannot imagine being separated from Him. Like David, a true worshipper would say:

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” - (Psalm 42:1-2).

The essence of true worship lies in obedience and glorifying God in our lives, rather than offering sacrifices to Him with our mouths only. Are you truly worshipping God?

*KEY POINT:*
Worship comes from the heart, and it is expressed across every part of your life, not just the lips.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ROMANS 15-16

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 23 - TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE*
1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.

3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.

5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

🥦 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🥦
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 26TH 2024_

*THEME: ONLY BY GRACE*

*MEMORISE:*
“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Zechariah 4:6

*READ: EPHESIANS 2:8-10 (KJV)*

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

*MESSAGE:*
Questions like, “Do you know who I am? Do you know who you are talking to? How dare you speak to me like that?” are borne out of pride. The truth is that every human being was made from the dust of the ground and will eventually return there (Genesis 3:19). It is only the grace and favour of God that has brought us this far (1 Corinthians 15:10). If you think that you are successful because of how smart or brilliant you are, my question for you is, did you create your brain? Could you have single-handedly created the opportunities that you had while climbing the ladder of success?

The Bible tells us in Colossians 1:16-17 that all things exist in God and were created by Him and for Him. Everything we are and have is by God's provision and by His grace alone. This is why today’s Bible reading tells us that no one can boast before God.

Even though I can be considered brilliant because I obtained a PhD in Mathematics, I could have ended up as a farmer in my small hometown, Ifewara, if God had not given me the kind of mother that I had. She supported my dream to go to school in every way she could, and if this had not happened, I would not be where I am today. This is why I cannot afford to be proud because I know my humble beginnings, and I did not get to where I am today solely by my efforts. God raised me by His grace and mercy, and He can also pull me down. In the Bible, even though King Saul was initially aware of his humble state before he was crowned king (1 Samuel 15:17), pride began to set in his heart as time went by. He got to a point where he began to feel like he needed more respect from people. Consequently, he lost his position and the kingdom was taken away from him (1 Samuel 15:22-31). By the time we get to (1 Samuel 16:1), God was telling Samuel not to waste his time praying for Saul because He had rejected him.

Beloved, do not allow pride into your heart. The moment a fellow becomes proud, destruction is waiting at the door (Proverbs 16:18). Never forget about God’s abundant grace, and be careful never to think that you are superior to other people. God is the One raising you and all the glory must be given to Him.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, thank You so much for Your grace. Please, help me never to boast in myself, but in You alone.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ROMANS 11-14

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 2 - AMAZING GRACE*
1 Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

2 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!

3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
'tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

4 The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.

5 Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease:
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.

6 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.

🌻 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🌻
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: MONDAY NOVEMBER 25TH 2024_

*THEME: PROPHESY WITH WISDOM II*

*MEMORISE*:
“The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.”
Proverbs 10:11

*BIBLE READING: 2 SAMUEL 12:1-15*
1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

*MESSAGE:*
Today, I will be concluding the teaching I started yesterday on prophesying with wisdom. In our Bible reading for today, God sent Nathan to announce King David’s punishment. As a wise prophet, Nathan knew that the way he communicated God’s message would determine if he would leave the palace alive that day or not. Therefore, he started the message with a parable. When the king himself pronounced judgment based on his parable, he said, “That fellow is you, sir.” There is a powerful lesson for you to learn from here: when God sends a message through you to someone, you must be careful about the way you relay that message to the fellow.

If God tells you something about somebody, don’t be in a hurry to tell the fellow. Ask God for wisdom to relay the message in the right way so that no one gets in trouble because of the prophecy. Over time, I have learnt to do this. This is why I often give prophecies in the form of parables. If God has told me something and I am to share it with the public, if I know that the thing can be tough for some people to swallow, I will say it in the form of a parable. This way, I communicate God’s message with wisdom.

I have also seen people who use the gift of prophecy to destroy families. If God tells you something about someone and He says you should tell the fellow, after asking God for wisdom on how to relay the message, you might also need to advise the fellow on how to use the information that he or she now has. This is because such a fellow might not have the same level of wisdom and understanding as you. If he or she lacks understanding or is not mature enough to handle the message appropriately, the devil can take advantage of this and push the fellow into taking actions that will cause more harm than good. If you know that the fellow may not use the prophecy correctly, and God is not compelling you to reveal the message, you may decide to just approach the person with general advice and guidance concerning that issue. This way, you can help him or her without causing any trouble.

Beloved, the gift of prophecy is to perfect the saints, not to confuse or endanger them (Ephesians 4:11-12); use it wisely!

*KEY POINT:*
Deliver prophecies with wisdom.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ROMANS 8-10

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 30 - WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD*
1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

*Refrain:*
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.

[Refrain]

3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.

[Refrain]

4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.

[Refrain]

🎊 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎊
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24TH 2024_

*THEME: PROPHESY WITH WISDOM I*

*MEMORISE:*
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shalI have destruction.
Proverbs 13:3

*BIBLE READING: PROVERBS 17:27-28*
27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

*MESSAGE:*
The gift of prophecy is special. It is a great honour for God to choose someone as a vessel that He can speak to and communicate His mind concerning situations. However, great wisdom must be applied when using the gift of prophecy.

First of all, it is not everything that God tells you that you should tell others. There are certain things God tells you that are for your ears only. If you become so excited that you start telling them to people that He has not permitted you to share them with, you might cause more harm than good. God likes to share secrets with those that are close to Him. If He tells you a secret, you should ask Him if it is okay to share it with anyone. The moment He tells you a secret, and you tell someone that He has not permitted you to, He might stop speaking to you.

You must note that the gift of prophecy should not be used to show off that you are close to God. Prophecies must be handled with care because some people might not be able to receive, understand, and interpret what God is saying correctly.

When God tells you something about a particular fellow, you are not to say that thing in public except He specifically asks you to do so. If the fellow He spoke to you about is a public figure, find a way to send a message to him or her privately about what God told you. When God told Samuel that King Saul had offended Him, Samuel did not announce it to the entire kingdom. Our God is not a gossip. If He gives you information about someone, it is not for you to discuss it with the whole world. You must pay particular attention to this, especially when the prophecy Is not a pleasant one. Even if such a fellow would have received your prophecy well, hearing it in public might make him or her defensive, and as such, the aim of that prophecy will be defeated. Also, God can change His mind about such a fellow if he or she begins to do the right thing as we see in Isaiah 38:1-5. If instead of telling the fellow privately, you announced the prophecy to the whole world, if God changes His mind, you will be left to defend what you had prophesied.

Beloved, be slow to speak (James 1:19). Ask God for wisdom on how to handle the things that He reveals to you.

*KEY POINT:*
Not everything God tells you is for public consumption.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ROMANS 4-7

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMN 34: YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION*
1 Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you some other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.

*Refrain:*
Ask the Saviour to help you,
Comfort, strengthen, and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.

2 Shun evil companions, bad language disdain,
God’s name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.

3 To him that o’ercometh, God giveth a crown,
Through faith we will conquer, though often cast down;
He who is our Saviour, our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.

💎 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💎
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23RD 2024_

*THEME: THE ANCIENT LANDMARKS*

*MEMORISE:*
Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
Proverbs 22:28

*BIBLE READING: JEREMIAH 6:16-17*
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

*MESSAGE*:
These days, many people attempt to modernize Christianity. However, the Bible says in Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. God is never going to change; therefore, such people are only compromising on their faith.

It is okay to introduce technology into the work of God. It is also okay to use new approaches to share the gospel. However, the ancient landmarks must remain intact. The moment a fellow begins to explain away some of the basic principles of Christianity in the Bible, that fellow is already on the wrong path. For example, 2 Corinthians 6:14 says clearly that believers should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Some youths, in a bid to be modern, say that it is not bad to marry someone who is not a Christian. They claim that they are practicing a less rigid Christianity than that of their parents. This can be potentially dangerous because someone who is an unbeliever will not understand the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14) and will most likely oppose them or persecute the believer because of them.

Some people say that I am old school, and I agree, after all, I serve the Ancient of Days. However, I have been standing in the faith for over 40 years, while many 'modern Christians' are nowhere to be found. Without the 'old school' landmarks, you cannot remain strong in the faith. Some youths say that their parents are too rigid with the way they serve God. You may think some of the things that they do are not necessary, but believe me, they would not have achieved the results that they have today if they had not served God with such commitment. Denying one's self for the sake of the gospel shows a believer's level of commitment, and God rewards commitment (Hebrews 11:6).

If you are keeping the ancient landmarks, I want to encourage you to continue. Some people may laugh at you or call you a religious fanatic, but you must stand firm in your commitment to God and not compromise on God's principles. In the past, I was also laughed at, but see how far God has brought me now

Beloved, give yourself completely to God, and do not compromise on His standards; the whole world will soon come to the brightness of your rising in Christ.

*KEY POINT:*
It is better to keep the ancient landmarks and be laughed at than to conform to worldly trends and fall.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ROMANS 1-3

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMN 3: ANCIENT WORD*
1 Holy words long preserved for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart,
Oh, let the Ancient words impart.

*Chorus*
Ancient words ever true,
Changing me, and changing you,
We have come with open hearts,
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

2 Words of Life, words of Hope,
Give us strength, help us cope,
In this world, where e'er we roam,
Ancient words will guide us Home.Refrain!

3 Holy words of our Faith,
Handed down to this age,
Came to us through sacrifice,
Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ Refrain!

4 Holy words long preserved,
For our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart,
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

🎁 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎁
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22ND 2024_

*THEME: DISCOVER HIS PURPOSE*

*MEMORISE*:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Jeremiah 29:11

*BIBLE READING: PROVERBS 19:20-21*
20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

*MESSAGE:*
Before God called me into full-time ministry, my dream was to become the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa. I thought I had a great dream, and so, I pursued it with everything that I had. What I did not think of was, after becoming the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa, what next? I thought I had my tomorrow all figured out, but the truth is, I was short-sighted. I thank God that He came in to give me real hope for my tomorrow.

It is good to be ambitious but believe me, any ambition that negates the will of God will only cause more trouble than good. Isaiah 45:9 says:

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Beloved, you are God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). Do not try to go in a different direction from the will of God if you do not want to go astray; the clay that argues with its potter will end up broken. The only way to achieve genuine success in life is to go on the path that your creator made for you. You should find out God’s purpose for your life and walk in it.

You may ask, “How do I discover the purpose of God for my life?” If a product does not understand its purpose, it can get a hint by staying close to its manufacturer. As it spends time with its manufacturer, it will begin to notice what the manufacturer uses it for and realise its purpose. God is your creator; spend quality time with Him daily. As you do this, He will begin to give you specific instructions and use you for certain tasks. These instructions and tasks will tell you clearly what His purpose for your life is.

Peter thought that his purpose was to be a fisherman. He went about fishing so diligently that he worked all night, even when there was no catch. However, when he came in contact with Jesus, He told him, “Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men.” As he followed Jesus, he fulfilled God’s purpose for his life.

Beloved, stay close to God, and He will reveal His purpose for you here on earth. Make up your mind to obey His instructions, and you will indeed fulfil your destiny.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, please help me to stay close to You so that I can fulfil my destiny, in Jesus' name.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ACTS 27-28

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 28 - GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH*
1 Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore;
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing waters flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee;
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee.

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21ST 2024*


*THEME: IS RAPTURE REAL?*


*MEMORISE:*

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark- Matthew 24:38


*READ: 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-17*

13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.


*MESSAGE:*

As we see in today's Bible reading, the rapture is the sudden taking away of the dead in Christ along with believers who are alive to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ and spend eternity with Him. Many people, however, feel that the rapture is not real because they have heard of it for so long and it hasn't happened yet. Whatever anyone thinks about the reality of the rapture does not matter. It is in your best interest to study and believe only what the word of God says about it. The Bible says that the day will come like a thief in the night, and you must be prepared if you do not want to be left behind (1 Thessalonians 5:1-.

A key characteristic of the major prophecies in the Bible is that they sounded unbelievable when they were spoken. prophesied that a virgin would give birth in Isaiah 7:14, it seemed very unreasonable. At that time, most people must have watched to see if a virgin would really give birth. It wasn't until centuries later that Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ. Whether the people believed Isaiah's prophecy or not, God's word came to pass. In the Bible, there were numerous prophecies that seemed
impossible but have come to pass. If the Bible has been so accurate, it is wise to believe that it is absolutely right about the rapture.

When IsaiahWhen Noah announced to everyone that a flood was coming to destroy the whole earth, they laughed at him. He started building the ark, and they laughed even more. Years passed, and no flood came. Just before he went into the ark with his family, the people were still drinking and rejoicing like every other day, but a few days after, they had all drowned. Today, many people are living recklessly, ignoring the reality of the rapture. However, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:52 that the rapture will happen suddenly. Only those who are prepared for it will be saved while the rest will be left on the earth to suffer.

One thing I know for sure is that the day the rapture happens, many people will be caught by surprise. There will be a lot of regrets from people who heard about the rapture, but who lived their lives without bothering to prepare for it by giving their Lives to Jesus Christ and living holy. Unfortunately for them, it will be too late because the rapture will only happen once.

Beloved, are you ready for the rapture?


*KEY POINT:*

The rapture will surely happen. Be wise and be prepared.


*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 24-26*


*AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE*


*HYMN 21: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD*

1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

*REFRAIN:*

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

3. Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

4. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

5. Standing on the promises I shall not fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

*OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

*DATE: WEDNESDAY 20TH NOVEMBER 2024*

*THEME: YOU CAN BE FULL OF JOY*

*MEMORISE:*

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” – Psalm 16:11 (KJV)

*BIBLE READING: Jeremiah 29:11-12 (KJV)*

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.


*MESSAGE*

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” – John 16:24

Jesus Christ said in the above passage that it is possible for you to be full of joy. In other words, He was saying that it is possible for you to have absolutely no sorrow. There are many people who look good on the outside but are dying on the inside. A lot of people have sorrows that they can’t share and problems that they hide beneath their appearance. However, God can take away sorrows completely and heal the broken-hearted (Psalm 147:3). If you are currently experiencing sorrows or problems that you cannot share, you will be healed today, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, one of my daughters came to me and asked me to pray for her. I asked her what she wanted me to pray about, but she said that I didn’t need to know and that when the prayer is answered, she would come back and share the testimony with me. I prayed for her, and to the glory of God, some days later, she came back to share her testimony with me. She was well over 20 years old, but she was still bedwetting. She said that she never travelled with her friends on trips where they had to spend the night together, but that with just a simple prayer, the problem was over. In the name of the Lord Jesus who made it possible for you to be reading this teaching now, if there are any secret sorrows in your life, they will disappear today.

Jesus Christ said in John 16:24 that the way to get all your sorrows turned to so much joy that you will be filled with it, is to ask Him. It may seem like a simple instruction, but it is a very powerful one. Rather than cry or worry, just pray. Matthew 6:27 says that no matter how worried you are, you cannot add an inch to your height.

Beloved, stop worrying. Rather than spending time to worry, use that time to pray. Philippians 4:6 says:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

When disturbing thoughts wake you up at night, get up and pray. As you pray and sing praises to God, the sorrows will be lifted from your heart and will be replaced with joy. I pray that henceforth, your life will be filled with joy, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT
Father, may I never experience sorrow again, in Jesus’ name.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 22-23

HYMN
WHEN PEACE LIKE RIVER ATTENDED MY WAY

1 When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.

3 My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

4 O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 19TH 2024

TOPIC: DRAWING MIRACLES

MEMORISE:
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” - (Mark 9:23)

READ: MARK 5:21-34 (KJV)

21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,

23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.

25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,

28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

MESSAGE:
Every now and then in the Bible, you read about people who got ‘unplanned’ miracles. For example, in the Gospels, Jesus would be going somewhere, not planning to pray for anyone along the way, but somehow, someone would get a miracle from Him. One of such people is the woman with the issue of blood in our Bible reading today. Jesus was on His way to raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead when she met him. She pushed through the crowd that followed Him until she was able to touch His garment and get her miracle. In doing so, all the sufferings in the last 12 years of her life vanished. If she had not done what she did, she might have died a sick and wretched woman.

Do you know that you can get a miracle even when a minister of God is not praying for you? You can be at a programme, and while a ministration is going on, if you say to yourself just like the woman with the issue of blood, “If I can just touch the hem of His garment, I will receive my miracle,” God will do it.

One of our drummers in RCCG had been waiting on God for the fruit of the womb. One day, while the Holy Ghost Service was going on, he said in his heart, “If the General Overseer can just look at me, I will have my child.” I didn’t know what was going on, I just looked his way, and he was very excited. Nine months later, his baby came. There was also a woman many years ago who had heard of the great things God was doing through us. She decided to come for one of our programmes and said in her heart, “If I can just see the man of God, I will receive my healing.” When I came up, she asked those around her to confirm that the fellow on the altar was me. When they confirmed it, she started rejoicing, and she got her miracle.

If you have faith, you can get your miracle at any time. Even if a minister of God does not mention your case or lay hands on you during a ministration, you can get a miracle from God through him. You don’t have to wait for a minister of God to pray for you. You can get a miracle through him or her with your faith.

REFLECTION:
Do you have the kind of faith that draws miracles from God?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 20-21

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 25 - THE GREAT PHYSICIAN NOW IS NEAR

1 The great Physician now is near,
the sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
oh! hear the voice of Jesus.
Refrain:
Sweetest note in seraph song,
sweetest name on mortal tongue;
sweetest carol ever sung,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.

2 Your many sins are all forgiven,
oh! hear the voice of Jesus;
go on your way in peace to heaven,
and wear a crown with Jesus. [Refrain]

3 All glory to the risen Lamb!
I now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Savior's name,
I love the name of Jesus. [Refrain]

4 His name dispels my guilt and fear,
no other name but Jesus;
oh! how my soul delights to hear
the charming name of Jesus. [Refrain]

🌻 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🌻
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: MONDAY NOVEMBER 18TH 2024_

*THEME: WHEN GOD MOVES*

*MEMORISE*:
“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”
Matthew 9:35

*BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 9:35-36*
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

*MESSAGE:*
When God moves, He distributes miracles along His path. When you read through the Bible, you will see many instances where this happened. For example, in Genesis 18, He was going to Sodom, but on His way, He stopped at Abraham’s tent to give him a miracle. Also, in Luke 7:11-15, Jesus was going into the city of Nain and He saw a dead man being carried to his grave. He touched the coffin, and immediately, the dead man came back to life.

Psalm 97:3 says that fire goes before God. In other words, He has a convoy that goes before Him that is made of fire. This means that whenever He is moving, fire goes ahead of Him, clearing everything that is evil, and preparing the way for the One whose name is ‘Consuming Fire’. Even if you are not the one that God is coming to see, as He is passing by your house, everything that is considered evil in your home will be dealt with. When the One who is passing by is the Almighty God Himself, then no sickness, pain, sorrow, poverty, or anything evil, will remain.

Beloved, this is why it is good to have Christian neighbours. If you have Christian neighbours, every now and then, God will come to visit them. When He comes to visit them, since you are nearby, you should receive a miracle as well. This is why you should do something about the salvation of the people who live close to you, as well as everyone you interact with regularly. The Bible says that righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34), therefore, if you are surrounded by righteous people, God will move more frequently within your community, ensuring that you and the entire community are continually blessed in Him.

You should note, however, that the Consuming Fire hates sin. Therefore, when He moves, everything that relates to sin in His path will be destroyed. This is why you must abstain from sin because you do not want to become a victim of the Consuming Fire whenever He is moving around you.

Beloved, ensure that you live a holy life and also surround yourself with true children of God so that whenever God moves around you, you will receive a miracle.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, please move around me today so that I can receive a miracle.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ACTS 18-19

*HYMNAL: 15 - PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOUR*
1 Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

*Refrain:*
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

2 Let me at a throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.

[Refrain]

3 Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

[Refrain]

4 Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heav'n but Thee?

[Refrain]

🎊 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎊
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17TH 2024_

*THEME: FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD*

*MEMORISE:*
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
John 15:14

*BIBLE READING: JOHN 15:13-15*
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

*MESSAGE:*
God has many children, but as every parent knows, there is always that one child that is a favourite. Even though they do not like to admit it, their relationship with that child goes beyond regular parenting: it often extends into friendship. Likewise, God doesn't just want you to be His child, He wants you to be so close to Him that He can consider you His friend.

Jesus loves His friends so dearly that He said that He was willing to lay down His life for them (John 15:13). Do you have a friend who can inject himself with a disease so that you will not be infected with it? This can be likened to what Jesus did in Matthew 8:17. Can any of your friends take a bullet for you? Jesus did more than this when He was beaten by Roman soldiers and hung on a cross. This means that Jesus is the best friend that anyone can ever have.

People often tell tales of friends that they used to have. While it is common for people to betray friendships because of selfish interests or terminate them because of disagreements, the friendship of Jesus Christ lasts forever. Whether you are going through a storm (Matthew 14:24-25), or you are caught in a fire (Daniel 3:22-25), He will never leave your side. Even when He knows that you can betray His friendship, He will remain your friend indeed (Luke 22:31-32). The Bible says in John 13:1 that He loves until the end.

What does it take to become a friend of God? Our memory verse for today tells us that we can become His friend by obeying His commandments. This goes beyond staying away from sin; it means that when He says, "Don't eat, I want you to fast today," you should do it. When you are tired, and all you want to do is sleep, if He says, let us discuss before you sleep" you should push the sleep aside and pray. When He says, "Give me your car," you should do it. Abraham was called a friend of God in 2 Chronicles 20:7 because, when God asked him to sacrifice his son in Genesis 22:1-3, he was ready to do it.

Beloved, when God instructs you to do anything, you should make the necessary sacrifices and obey Him promptly. Nothing in this world should be too big for you to sacrifice to God. This is the only way to become His friend. Are you ready to become God's friend?

*KEY POINT:*
Obeying God's commandments is the key to becoming His friend.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ACTS 16-17

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMN 27: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS*
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!

2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!

3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge--
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15TH 2024*


*TOPIC: THE BIBLE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY II*


*MEMORISE:*

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. - Leviticus 18:22


*READ: LEVITICUS 18:22-30 (KJV)*

22. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

23. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

24. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

25. And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

26. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation,ve the nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

27. For all these abominations hamen of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;

28. That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

29. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

30. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.


*MESSAGE:*

Today, I will continue my teaching on what the Bible says about gender and sexuality. The Bible makes it clear in today’s memory verse, that it is an abomination to have sexual relations with someone of the same gender. Homosexuality might have been painted as normal in some societies, but anyone who engages in it is committing an abomination. Today’s Bible reading says that if people who engage in homosexuality do not repent, their souls will be cut off from amongst the people. It says further that the nations and places in which such acts are encouraged will be punished and will not know peace. Do not imbibe these ideologies from such societies; the of God God isa’ and ‘amen’. God’s word wordsays that such people and societies will be punished, so we must stay away from their ideologies and intensify our prayers for them.

When you read about Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities that God destroyed with fire and brimstone, you will see what can happen to societies that are defiled by homosexuality (Genesis 19:1-25). Even though they were initially said to be flourishing and seemed like the perfect places to live in (Genesis 13:8-12), they were eventually destroyed due to the wickedness and immoral acts of their inhabitants. Even after they were invaded by enemies and Abraham came to their rescue in Genesis 14:1-16, they continued proudly in their abominations, and this eventually led to their destruction. In Isaiah 3:9, the Bible says:

*"The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves."*

Beloved, do not partake of such evil rewards. Don’t believe the lie that some people are born homosexual. Homosexuality is an abomination before God because it was not part of His original design; it is a devilish act that is intended to destroy the lives of people and tamper with the work of God. If you have been engaging in homosexuality, pray to God for deliverance from the manipulation of the devil, and see a genuine minister of God to pray with you.

Beloved, God loves you and brought this message to you so that you can either be delivered or be used to deliver others.


*PRAYER POINT:*

Father, please deliver everyone who is involved in homosexuality today, in Jesus' name.


*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 12-13*


*AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE*


*HYMN 10: IN CHRIST ALONE*

1. In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

2. In Christ alone, Who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This Gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

3. There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

4. No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14TH 2024*


*THEME: THE BIBLE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY - PART I*


*MEMORISE:*

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.- Genesis 1:27


*READ: GENESIS 7:1-3*

1. And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

2. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

3. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.


*MESSAGE:*

We live in a world today where many are confused about their sexuality and gender. Some Christians are also confused about what to believe concerning the topic. Over the next few days, I will be digging deep into the Scriptures to explain the truth about
sexuality and gender.

First of all, I will like to emphasize that God created man in His own image, and He created them male and female (Genesis 1:27); anything outside this is not God's design, neither is it His will. When an artist creates a masterpiece, the artist puts his or her signature on it. Every human being is God's masterpiece and is uniquely made, such that no two people in this world have the same fingerprints. If someone takes a masterpiece and decides to change something about it, it immediately ceases to be a masterpiece. People who decide to change their gender are destroying the essence of their creation. They are telling God their creator, that they can do a better job at creating.

One thing I know is that my God does not make mistakes. Therefore, when someone says that she feels like she is a male trapped inside a female body for instance, I immediately know that the devil is at work and is trying to manipulate her to destroy her body which is God's masterpiece. Changing God's original design concerning our bodies can be disastrous because the Bible warns that our bodies are God's temple, and that God will destroy whoever defiles His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). There are records of many people who have altered their genders admitting that they are suffering serious health and emotional trauma as a result of their decisions. A person cannot tamper with God's masterpiece and not suffer the consequences if he or she does not repent.

One of our pastors was arrested because he addressed a group of people as, "Ladies and gentlemen." They told him that not all of them were ladies or gentlemen. When I heard this, I wondered, "How many genders did God create?" Your body is the temple of God, and any advice to disfigure it is from the devil. If you feel confused about your identity, draw closer to God, study your Bible, and pray more than ever before. Also, speak to a Christian counsellor who holds firmly to God's position about gender and sexuality. God will show you who you really are in Him and His purpose for your life. He had a plan for you, even before you were formed in your mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5).


*KEY POINT:*

You are fearfully and wonderfully made by God; anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you.


*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 10-11*


*AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE*


*HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD*

1. I am Thine, O Lord,
I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

*CHORUS:*

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3. O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross thee narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

🥦 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🥦
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 12TH 2024_

*THEME: A KISS OF FIRE*

*MEMORISE:*
“And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.”
Exodus 19:18

*BIBLE READING: EXODUS 3:2-6*
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

*MESSAGE:*
The lips are a very sensitive part of the human body. In Isaiah 6:6-7, when the angel wanted to help Isaiah, he put a coal of fire on his lips. Even though that must have been very painful considering how sensitive the lips are, the experience ensured that Isaiah became a changed person.

Nothing touches fire and remains the same. In Acts 2:1-14, Peter stood boldly to address and preach to a large crowd of people after the Holy Ghost had descended on the Upper Room congregation like cloven tongues of fire. This was the same Peter that denied Jesus three times out of fear. From the day a believer gets a kiss of fire, everything about him or her changes completely; the impact of the fire will abide with him or her forever.

When you see someone who is always ready to do the will of Christ and go all out for Him, that fellow has been kissed by fire. This is why after Isaiah received that kiss of fire, all he could hear was God saying, “Whom shall we send, who will go for us?” and his response was, “Lord, send me” (Isaiah 6:1-. When you are kissed by fire, you will begin to hear the heartbeat of God concerning the nations of the world, and your response will be, “Lord, send me anywhere to do your work, and I will go.”

Paul did God’s work with great zeal. That zeal came upon him in Acts 9:3-6 when Jesus appeared to him in a great light on his way to Damascus. That light was not from an electric bulb; it was from the fire of God, and the moment Paul’s body touched it, he was kissed by fire and was changed forever. From that moment, he went to every length to do the will of God.

The reason many Christians find it difficult to do great exploits for God is that they have not been kissed by fire. Some of them want to serve God in greater capacities, but they lack the required zeal because they have not been kissed by fire. If you are a pastor, and you want to have an army that is willing to join you in doing great exploits for the kingdom, pray for them to be kissed by fire. The moment they are kissed by fire, the zeal of the Lord will take over their hearts and all they will long for is to do His will at all times.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, please give me a kiss of fire today, in Jesus' name.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ACTS 6-7

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 8 - I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR*
1 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

*Refrain:*
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev'ry hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.

[Refrain]

3 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

[Refrain]

4 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.

[Refrain]

🌻 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🌻
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: MONDAY NOVEMBER 11TH 2024_

*THEME: HOLD FAST TO YOUR VISION -III*

*MEMORISE*:
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2

*BIBLE READING: GENESIS 30:25-43*
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.

26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.

27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.

28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.

30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:

32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.

34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.

41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.

42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

*MESSAGE:*
Today, I will conclude my teaching on vision by emphasizing that you can become what you see. In today’s Bible reading, Laban agreed to give Jacob all the speckled sheep in his flock as wages. However, because he wanted to cheat him, he secretly removed all the speckled sheep, leaving only plain-coloured sheep within the flock. Despite this, Jacob peeled tree barks and made marks on them. He placed the marked barks at the place the sheep usually drank from so that whenever they came to drink, they would see them. He also ensured that the animals faced the marked barks whenever they were mating. Before long, the plain-coloured sheep started producing speckled offspring until the speckled sheep were more than the plain-coloured ones within the flock. Jacob changed the DNA of the sheep by changing what they saw.

(2 Corinthians 3:18) says that as we keep looking at Jesus Christ, we are transformed into His image. You should pay attention to what you are looking at now because that is what you will become in future. Deliberately fix your attention on the things and people that will influence you to become what you intend to become in the future.

The first time I went to South Korea to attend Dr. Yonggi Cho’s church, I saw that they held seven services in a fifty thousand seater capacity auditorium on that Sunday. They had to beg those who had come to the services that day not to come the following week. I saw something that depicted what I wanted to become, and so I took that vision to God and cried to Him about it. Some years later, I went back there and this time, I was able to meet with him and he said, “I have heard of you, will you please pray for me?” I caught a vision the first time I went there and God began to align things to make me become what I saw. When I went back, I was a different person. If you have a vision and you remain focused on it, you will become what you see in your vision.

Lastly, what you indulge in will determine your destiny. In Judges 16, Samson kept indulging in the wrong things. He kept visiting harlots and committed all manners of atrocities; that was why he died young. Gehazi could have become a greater prophet than Elisha, but his love for silver and gold made him end up as a leper (2 Kings 5:25-27).

Beloved, what vision are you holding on to?

*KEY POINT:*
What you see will determine what you will become.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ACTS 4-5

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 15 - PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOUR*
1 Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

*Chorus:*
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

2 Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.

3 Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

4 Thou the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me;
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heaven but Thee?

🎊 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎊
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SUNDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 2024_

*THEME: HOLD FAST TO YOUR VISION -II*

*MEMORISE:*
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2

*BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 6:19-22*
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

*MESSAGE*
Today, I will continue the teaching I started yesterday on vision. Beloved, I want you to know that your future depends on what you can see today. If you see a glorious future, you can have it (Genesis 13:15). When we acquired The Redemption Camp in Texas, USA, God told me, "As far as you can see, it is yours." I walked as far as I could that day and today, everything I saw has become ours - I wish I had walked farther! God has put so much power in your vision that it attracts whatever it is focused on. Therefore, you must be very conscious about what you set your eyes on. The Bible says in Colossians 3:2:
"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Your eyes must be set on things above, and not on worldly things. Even when flashy things surround you, your vision must remain glued to things above. My wife and I visited a wealthy man, and he showed us a house he was building. That was the first time that I saw a tap made of gold in a bathroom. Right there, my wife heard God say, "Daughter, heaven is far more beautiful." In 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Apostle Paul was joyful about the crown of righteousness that was laid up for him. While other people saw death, he saw a coronation. This is why he said in 2 Corinthians 11:22-33 that he endured beatings, hunger, and all manners of sufferings; it was because of the things He had seen.

Beloved, don't put your focus on earthly possessions and titles. If all you see are perishable things, all you will get will be perishable. This is why the Bible tells us in Matthew 6:19-20 that we should lay our treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed. On the other hand, if you see beyond perishable things, you will get both the perishable things and things that are imperishable. This is what the Bible says in Matthew 6:33:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The only limit to what you can lay hold on in the future is what you can see today. The things you can see will drive you to take all the necessary steps to attain them. Beloved, there is nothing better than setting your eyes on God because when you have Him, you have everything else.

*REFLECTION*
What are your eyes focused on?

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
Acts 1-3

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 10 - IN CHRIST ALONE*
1 In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

2 In Christ alone, Who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This Gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

3 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9TH 2024*


*TOPIC: HOLD FAST TO YOUR VISION 1*


*MEMORISE:*

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. - Habakkuk 2:2


*READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27 (KJV)*

24. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.


*MESSAGE:*

Proverbs 29:18 says that people perish without a vision. If a fellow has no vision of the future, he or she will live recklessly and will likely end up in ruins. In today’s Bible reading, Paul said that he had an end goal, and that was why he always kept his body under control. When I see a fellow’s lifestyle, I can tell if he or she has a vision or not.

I recall a time in the 1980s when I was about to conclude a 40-day fasting exercise and a pastor visited my office. He met me lying on a mat because I was very weak from not eating for over a month. At this time, RCCG had an auditorium that was 100 x 50 metres. When he saw me in that state, he said, “Why are you fasting so much when you already have the biggest auditorium in Africa? What else are you looking for?” I ignored him because he could not see what I was seeing. To him, I had reached the height of success. However, I was seeing an auditorium that was as big as a city, and I needed to subdue my body to achieve my vision.

Joseph saw the future, and that was why in Genesis 39:1-12, when his master’s wife asked him to lie with her, he said, “I cannot offend the One who gave me dreams about my future. I know where God is taking me, so I must practise restraint.” Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy that was set before Him; the joy of seeing many souls being reconnected to God.

Many of my relatives and friends thought that I was crazy when I moved my family to the place that is now Redemption City many years ago. They said, “How can you, a senior lecturer in a university that was living in a mansion, relocate to this jungle without electricity?” They were seeing a jungle, but I saw a city. Hebrews 11:8-10 says that Abraham was living in tents because he saw a city whose maker and builder is God.

What have you seen about your future? How are you living your life today so you can achieve your dreams? If you really have a vision for your life, that vision should drive you to be awake while others are sleeping and keep going while others are giving up. Don’t lose sight of your vision of the future; keep your focus on God, the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).


*REFLECTION:*

Does your lifestyle reflect that you have seen a great vision for your life?


*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOHN 20-21*


*AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE*


*HYMN 28: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH*

1. Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

2. Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

3. When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

*OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: FRIDAY 8TH NOVEMBER 2024*


*TOPIC: PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING*


*MEMORISE:*

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 1 Chronicles 16:34


*BIBLE READING: PSALM 95:1-5:*

1. O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

2. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

3. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

4. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.

5. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.


*PRAYERS:*

1. Lord, I thank You for my life. It is not by my power or might that I am still alive today. I am truly grateful Lord.

2. Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace towards me. Thank You for keeping me and showing me Your mercies from the beginning of this year until now.

3. Thank You Father because I am born again. Thank You for saving my soul and redeeming me from destruction in the hands of the devil. I am so glad that I will reign with You in eternity.

4. Father, thank You for all the answered prayers. I am really grateful that I can call on You at any time. Thank You also for the unanswered prayers because I am confident that You have my best interests at heart.

5. Father, I thank You for always protecting me from evil. You cause me to dwell under the shadow of your wings, and I am truly grateful Lord.

6. Father, I thank You for providing for me daily. I am grateful for all that You have given to me, and I know that You will continually take care of me all the days of my life.

7. Father, thank You for all my family members and loved ones. Thank You for the privilege of having people that I can call my family and friends.

8. Thank You Father for the local assembly where I worship You. Thank you for the pastors. ministers. workers and members. Thank You for all You are doing in our midst and Your plans and purposes for us.

9. Thank You Lord for always fighting my battles for me. Thank You for always giving me victory and for making me more than a conqueror in You. I am truly grateful Lord.

10. Thank You Father for being my Lord. It is only because of You that I can face tomorrow. You are very special to me Lord; without You, my life has no meaning.

11. Thank You Lord for the doors of opportunities and blessings that you have opened unto me. Thank You also for the closed doors because I know that all things are working together for my good.

12. Your personal prayers of thanksgiving to the Lover and Keeper of your soul.


*AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE*


*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOHN 18-19*


*HYMN 18: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY*

1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation:
Join the great throng
psaltery, organ and song
sounding in glad adoration.

2. Praise to the Lord,
over all things he gloriously reigneth:
Borne as on eagle-wings, safely his saints, He sustaineth
Has thou not seen
How all thou needest hath been
Granted in what he ordaineth?

3. Praise to the Lord,
Who doth prosper thy way and defend thee;
Surely his goodness and mercy shall ever attend thee;
ponder anew, What the almighty can do
Who with his love doth befriend thee.

4. Praise to the Lord!
O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has breath join with Abraham’s Seed to adore him!
Let the Amen, sum all our praises again;
Now as we worship before him.

💢 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💢
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 6TH 2024_

*THEME: HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART II*

*MEMORISE:*
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.
Jeremiah 31:18

*BIBLE READING: HEBREWS 12:5-11*
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

*MESSAGE:*
Sometimes, when you hear from God, it may be a rebuke. However, you must still open your heart to Him despite the rebuke. In any case, I would rather God rebuke me than stay silent. If a Christian only wants to hear sweet things from God but never wants to listen to His rebuke, he or she will eventually stop hearing from Him. You should be glad when God rebukes you because Hebrews 12:6 says that it is the child the father loves that he chastens. When David was rebuked in 2 Samuel 12:1-14, he did not harden his heart, rather, he repented, and God continued to walk with him.

How do you react when you hear a rebuke from your pastor? Do you harden your heart, or do you make amends immediately? No matter how influential a believer is in ministry, or how gifted the fellow is in the Holy Spirit, if such a person hardens his or her heart against God's rebuke, God can reject such a believer (1 Samuel 16:1). Psalm 51:17 says:

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

If you want God to keep walking with you and speaking to you, you need to have a broken spirit and a contrite heart. God is not moved by mere religious activity; He is most interested in a relationship with you. However, just as it is impossible to have a good relationship with someone that you cannot correct when he or she offends you, God will not dwell with hard-hearted individuals. He said in Isaiah 57:15:

"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

Beloved, when God rebukes you, whether through His word, a fellow believer, or directly by Himself, never harden your heart. Hardening your heart against His rebuke will only lead to destruction as we see in Proverbs 29:1:

"He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

Do not despise rebuke from God, rather, embrace His correction as evidence of His love for you.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Please Lord, help me to yield to Your corrections at all times.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
JOHN 13-15

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD*
1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of His word,
what a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

*Refrain:*
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smiles quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3 Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly Repay;
Not a grief or a loss,
Not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and Obey.

4 But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favour He shows,
For the joy He bestows,
Are for them,
Who will trust and obey.

5 Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we'll walk by His side
In the way;
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*

*DATE: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5TH 2024*

*THEME: HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART - PART I*

*MEMORISE:*

Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: Psalm 95:8

*READ: Hebrews 3:7-11*

7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

*MESSAGE:*

God talks to His people; the only problem is that many do not listen to Him. Psalm 95:6-8 says that if you want to hear His voice, you should not harden your heart. If God has been talking to you and you have been disobedient, He will keep quiet, and you won't hear Him again.

You need to hear God so that He can guide you. The primary way to hear from God and be guided by Him is to study your Bible. However, what should you do when the situation you need guidance about is not specifically addressed by the Bible? Whenever you need to make decisions on such matters, you need to hear from God directly.

There are times when you can clearly see what God wants you to do in the Scriptures. However, you still need to hear from Him on how to go about what He wants you to do. For example, when Paul wanted to go to Asia in Acts 16:6-7, the Spirit of God forbade him. You might ask, "How can the Spirit of God stop Paul from going to preach since it is written in Matthew 28:19 that we should go into the world and teach every nation?"

Some years ago, I wanted to hold a crusade in Benin, a state capital in Southern Nigeria. We had prepared everything for the crusade, but to my surprise, when I went to ask God about it, He said that we should go to Ede, a town in South-West Nigeria instead. I told Him that we had just concluded a crusade in llesha, another town in the same state as Ede and that the inhabitants of Ede would have most likely been in attendance. However, since God is my Commander-in-chief, l obeyed Him.

During the crusade in Ede, the king was in attendance, and when he got on the stage to speak, he announced that he would be gifting the church with whatever quantity of land we desired. We initially decided to ask for 50 acres of land, however, when I went back to hear from God, He told me to ask for 500 hectares, and I obeyed. Today, that portion of land is where Redeemer's University and The Redeemed Christian School of Missions are situated. If l had hardened my heart, I wouldn't have gone to Ede, and I wouldn't have received the blessing.

Beloved, when you are dealing with God, don't harden your heart. Listen to Him with an open mind, be committed to obeying Him, and He will speak to you.

KEY POINT:
If your heart is hardened, God will not speak to you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
John 11-12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD
1 I am Thine, O Lord,
I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Chorus:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

Refrain

3 O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!

Refrain

4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross thee narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

🌻 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🌻
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: MONDAY NOVEMBER 4TH 2024_

*THEME: LEARN FROM THE ELDERS*

*MEMORISE:*
“With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.”
Job 12:12

*BIBLE READING: 1 KINGS 12:1-19*
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt

3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?

10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;

14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

*MESSAGE*:
Elderly people carry valuable gems of wisdom. No matter how educated you are, some lessons cannot be learnt in classrooms; they are only taught in the ‘classroom of life’ and are learned by experience. Even though I have a PhD, I have learnt to defer to the wisdom of the elders from time to time. This is why you will always hear me say, “The elders have a saying,” because there are valuable things that I have learnt from the elders that all of my formal education did not give me.

I was privileged to sit at the feet of my Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi. Every week, I would visit him to ask questions, and he would teach me valuable lessons. I was also privileged to learn from Pa S.G Elton. Every two weeks, I would travel to llesha to sit at his feet. He taught me many things, even though I didn’t agree with some of them initially because I felt that they were incorrect. However, as I grew older, I began to realise that he was correct. One of the things he taught me was that I should always remember that I am not God, irrespective of the level of the anointing that I operate in. He also taught me that God does whatever He pleases, and all that I have to do is to take my burdens to Him in prayer and go to bed. This is why, if you ask those close to me, they will tell you that I have no difficulty sleeping. No matter how big the problem is, once I have prayed, I go to sleep.

Beloved, even if your parents and the elders around you are not as educated or sophisticated as you are, listen to them. Whatever things you disagree with or that seem hard for you to understand, keep them in your memory regardless. One day, when you are wiser, you will likely refer to them. Do not joke with the moments you have to spend with elders, whether they are related to you or not. Tell them to teach you some of the things they know and do. There are some natural remedies to sicknesses that died with some elders because the generation after them did not learn about them when they had the opportunity. Some important principles of life have also been lost in this manner.

Learn all you can from the elderly ones, especially the Christian elders that you still have around you, before they go to be with the Lord.

*KEY POINT:*
Spend quality time with the elders around you; there is a lot of wisdom to gain from them.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
JOHN 9-10

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 28 - GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH*
1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL OF SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2024

By Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye

TOPIC: JESUS' LAST WORDS

MEMORIZE:
“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” - John 17:11

Read:
John 17:9-26
9. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

MESSAGE:
The last words of a dying man are usually very important and must be given the utmost attention. More importantly, we should pay extra attention to the last words of Jesus before He left the earth because they are extremely important. When my Father in the Lord was about to leave the earth, he sent for me, but unfortunately, I had gone to Akure, a state capital in Western Nigeria, to preach. Up until today, I still wish that I was there to hear what he wanted to tell me at that crucial moment in his life.

In John 3:16, Jesus said that God loves the whole world and sent Him to die for everyone, but when He was saying His last prayers in John 17:9, He said, “I’m not praying for the world, I’m only praying for these people that You have given me.” This means that if a fellow is not born again, he or she cannot experience certain benefits of God’s love. As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ said that He will deny such a fellow before His Father on the day of judgement Matthew 10:32-33.

Those of us that are truly born again must also pay close attention to Jesus’ last words before His crucifixion and death. In His final prayer before His arrest and crucifixion, He said:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. - John 17:20-21

It is very important to Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, that believers are united. God’s glory can only be seen upon the church when there is unity and when Christians are of the same mind. In Psalm 133, the Bible tells us that God’s anointing and blessings will flow freely within His church when we are united as brethren. You should not hold grudges or keep malice with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Even though a Christian belongs to another denomination and you have a disagreement, bear in mind that you both belong to God, and all Christians are His children.

Beloved, ensure that you always show love to the Christians around you in spite of your differences. Make up your mind to honour the last words of your Lord and Saviour by striving for unity with other believers Ephesians 4:1-3.

Prayer Point:
Father, please help me to honour Your last words by loving all Christians across the world in spite of our differences.

Bible In One Year:
John 7-8

HYMN:
1. Holy words long preserved,
For our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

REFRAIN:
Ancient words, ever true,
Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

2. Words of life, words of hope,
Give us strength, help us cope,
In this world, where e'er we roam;
Ancient words will guide us home.

3. Holy words of our faith,
Handed down to this age,
Came to us through sacrifice;
Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ.

4. Holy words long preserved,
For our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

💎 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💎
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2ND 2024_

*THEME: HEARING FROM GOD*

*MEMORISE:*
“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:21

*BIBLE READING: JOHN 10:2-5*

2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

*MESSAGE:*
Hearing is critical to all humans. For example, you will immediately know that you need to get out of the way when you hear the blare of a car’s horn behind you. Beyond hearing in the physical, it is also critical for believers to be able to hear from God as we see in our memory verse.

Due to my training as a mathematician, I have learnt to delve into things that are not obvious. For instance, many Christians miss out on the fact that Elisha and Elijah were talking as they walked together in (2 Kings 2:11). When I studied that Scripture, I wondered what their discussion was about. Also, in Daniel 3, when the three Hebrew men were with the fourth man in the fire, what were they talking about? What did Jesus discuss with Moses and Elijah in Matthew 17:1-9? What was so crucial that they came down from heaven to discuss with Jesus? In (2 Corinthians 12:1-4), Paul said that he heard words that were not lawful for a man to speak. What were those words? In Revelation 10:4, John heard some things and wanted to write them down, but the angel told him they were not to be written; they were for his ears alone. What did he hear? I am really curious about these and many more of such conversations.

God made the world with words. Words are very powerful, especially when they come from God. The Bible says that the entrance of His word always brings light to the hearer and to situations (Psalm 119:130). You cannot live an effective Christian life if you do not hear from God. The Bible teaches that if you believe, you will see the glory of God (John 11:40). However, this faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent His word, and He healed and delivered them.” The question is, how do you receive God’s word?

To receive God’s word effectively, ensure that nothing distracts you and that you are totally focused on listening to His word. Move away from distractions, so that you can hear exactly what God wants to say to you in that moment. Also, pray for God to open your spiritual ears so that you can understand what is being said.

In Revelations 2:29, the Bible says that those that have ears should hear what the spirit is saying. You have spiritual ears; ensure that they are not deaf to what the Spirit of God has to say to you at every point in time.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, please open my spiritual ears and let me hear from You always.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
JOHN 5-6

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 15 - PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOUR*
1 Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

*Refrain:*
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

2 Let me at a throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.

[Refrain]

3 Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

[Refrain]

4 Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heav'n but Thee?

[Refrain]

🎁 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎁
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1ST 2024_

*THEME: THE MYSTERY OF OUR FAITH*

*MEMORISE:*
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3

*BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 18:1-5*
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

*MESSAGE:*
The Christian walk is very unique. This is because Christianity is dependent on an individual's ability to believe. As a result of this, Christians are generally called 'believers'. A scientist might say, "Prove it to me, and | will believe you," but in Christendom, God says, "Believe Me, and | will prove it to you." This is the mystery of Christianity.

To an unbeliever, our faith is proof that we, as Christians, are not wise. This is because a natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). However, in 1 Corinthians 1:27, the Bible tells us that God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. For example, it does not make sense to unbelievers when we say that a virgin gave birth to Jesus Christ. Most times, they think to themselves, "How can a virgin give birth?"

Jesus said something very important in our memory verse for today. He said that only those who are like children will inherit the kingdom. In other words, you must believe Him like a child believes his or her parents, whether what they say makes sense or not. Many people make the mistake of trying to relate with God logically. This is impossible because the Bible says that God's ways and thoughts are beyond human comprehension (lsaiah 55:8-9).

There are people who argue against Christianity with logic. Do not argue with such people because you cannot explain Christianity logically. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:23-25 to avoid unnecessary arguments with people concerning the truth of God's word.

The way to prove that God is real is not through arguments but by the display of power as Elijah did in 1 Kings 18. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthigns 4:20: "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." Furthermore, John 4:;48 sayS, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." No matter how hard yoU try, you cannot win anyone to Christ by an argument. Once you have shared the gospel of Christ with unbelievers, commit their hearts to God, as it is only the Holy Spirit that can convict and convert them. Do not argue with them about your Christian faith, rather, ask God to use you for signs and wonders so that when they see the power of God, they will surrender without any argument.

Beloved, I pray that the power of God will be evident in your life and that He will use you to lead many people into His kingdom, in Jesus' name.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, Use me to showcase Your power so that I can win my generation for You.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
JOHN 3-4

*HYMNAL: 21 -STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING*
1 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will. shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of

*Refrain:*
Standing, standing, Standing on the promises of
God, my Savior; Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

[Refrain]

3 Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love's strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

[Refrain]

4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List'ning ev'ry moment to the Spirit's call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

[Refrain]

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 31ST 2024*


*TOPIC: STAND FIRM*


*MEMORISE:*

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning of craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. -Ephesians 4:14


*READ: DANIEL 1:8-16 (KJV)*

8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

10. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12. Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

16. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.


*MESSAGE:*

*"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong"*. - (1 Corinthians 16:13)

*"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"* -Ephesians 4:14

From the passages above, it is clear that strong men stand fast in their faith; it is children that are tossed by every wind of doctrine. When people change their beliefs just because of what one ‘man of God’ said or because their pastor announced that he had changed his beliefs, without them going to search for the truth in God’s word themselves, I know that they are baby Christians or Christians with stunted growth.

Once you find the truth in God’s word, don’t let what people say shake your faith. Don’t let your walk with God be dictated by what people say. You must know God for yourself and let your walk with Him be dependent on your personal relationship with Him. There is nothing compared to having a first-hand experience of who God truly is. Once you start to relate with Him personally, it becomes difficult for anybody to deceive you because you know your God.

In John 16:13, Jesus Christ said that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. So, to know the truth about the word of God, you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is your relationship with the Holy Spirit that determines how much truth you know.

(1 John 2:27) says that the anointing in you will teach you all things, and according to Acts 10:38, the anointing comes with the Holy Ghost and power. Peter, for example, was too fearful to stand on his belief of Jesus being the Messiah and to identify with Him before his baptism in the Holy Spirit. After he experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Peter became an entirely different person. In Acts 11:1-18, after he had gone to Cornelius’ house and the congregation gathered together to query him for going to a gentile’s house, he stood firm as a rock and said, “The Spirit bade me go.” He was no longer scared to stand on what he believed.

Get filled with the Holy Spirit, and you will know the truth of God’s word so much that it will be difficult to be deceived by false doctrines.


*KEY POINT:*

Stand firm in your godly beliefs.


*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOHN 1-2*


*HYMN 20: STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS*

1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss.
From vict'ry unto vict'ry
his army he shall lead
till ev'ry foe is vanquished
and Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day.
Ye that are men now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger
and strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor,
each piece put on with prayer;
where duty calls or danger,
be never wanting there.

4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle,
the next, the victor's song.
To him that overcometh
a crown of life shall be;
he with the King of glory
shall reign eternally.